Paranoid
by goldleaves
Summary: Maybe the best plan is to do nothing at all. Goldenlake Challenge: Fanfiction Bingo : Card 1


**Title: **Paranoid

**Prompt(s): **Tradition, Midnight, The Capital, Pranks, Friendship

**Challenge: **Goldenlake Bingo - Card 1

**Summary:** Maybe the best plan is to do nothing at all.

* * *

"Do you know what today is?" Neal asked as they slowly made their way to the dining hall. It was so cold that they could see their breath appearing before their very eyes, and for some reason - which can not be explained - Neal was deliriously happy despite the early hour and biting chill,

"It's the first day of Midwinter - why?" Kel said, throwing a glare at her excited friend and making her way to where the food (which was thankfully steaming in the cold air) was.

"Exactly! It's the first day of Midwinter - do you know what that means?"

"No Nealan, I don't - but I'm sure you'll tell me"

"It's Prank day!"

"Prank day?"

"The one day a year - when the oldest pages (also known as us) get to play pranks on the squires, and they can do nothing about it" he exclaimed in glee,

"I'm sure they can Neal" she said, as they made their way to the table where their friends were waiting, "I'm sure that as soon as they find out who pranked them then that someone is going to find themselves in the bottom of the lake"

"Yes, sure they can try! but it's tradition Kel! It's tradition!"

"I think it's a jolly good idea" said Owen, as he insistently stuffed porridge down his throat, "I can't wait until it's my turn-" but he soon found himself face down in the bowl of porridge, thanks to Neal who merely grinned and said,

"You're not thinking about pranking us ... are you dear Owen?"

"No - not you" he stuttered, "Never you!"

"Well then that's good - so who are we going to prank?" he asked the table and both Merric and Faleron, who had been speaking on the subject moments earlier turned and said,

"Well ... I was thinking-" Merric started, only to be cut off by Owen,

"Always a danger!" and he was promptly pushed once more face down into his not so quite steaming porridge.

"Hey!"

"Anyway, I was thinking - what about if we don't prank anyone?" Merric whispered

"No one? Why? - I was thinking more about Joren" exclaimed Neal, waving his arms in confusion so much that they all had to duck in order to miss getting pushed face first into their porridge, like Owen had been once again.

"Well - they're all expecting a prank, right?" he waited for their nods, "So, what could be worse than waiting for a prank that will never come - it will make them so paranoid"

"Merric! you are a genius" Neal said, a smile back on his face and his arm under control once more, "It will break them down, we could follow them all day - make them think that we are planning a prank - get them all nervous and then make them spend the whole day in a nervous paranoid heap ... best prank ever!"

"So I take it you like my idea?" Merric said, a smug grin once more placed upon his face.

In agreement, the fourth year pages set out to annoy the squires as much as possible, whispering about plots and plans just on the edge of hearing distance so that the ones that they were following had to strain to get even the general idea of what they were planning it made for an amusing sight to see squires - who had so arrogantly showed off their new status - to run around the palace and the capital always looking over their shoulders and running into passing servants.

Even as they served the wine at the balls they ensured that they were still following the squires and constantly muttering about something to do with tripping up the squires right in front of the table on which many of the realms most beautiful, and eligible, ladies sat. As well talking about putting herbs into the wine and food so that more than one squire made a scene as they tried to stop those they were serving from eating the 'tainted' food and wine - much to the horror of their knight masters and the Master of Etiquette.

"Have they done anything yet?" Zahir asked Joren, as they made their way out of the great hall - heading to their rooms,

"No not yet - they must not be doing anything"

"I don't think so"

"And why do you say that?" Joren snapped, his icy demenour snapped and replaced with exhaustion and frustration, but Zahir merely pointed to an alcove, in the squire's wing where they could see a group of pages, shining in their red and gold tunics muttering about something, and knowing the halls better than the pages Joren knew that there was a place where he could overhear their conversation without them noticing him.

"So Midnight right?" he heard Merric whisper

"Right! they'll never see it coming - just as they think they're free, WHAM!" Neal exclaimed throwing his hands back to hit another one of the pages straight in the face,

"Hey!"

"Sorry, come on - let's get ready they should all be gone by now" and so the group of pages left the alcove and Joren ran to his room, where the others were waiting for him.

"Midnight - they're going to do it at Midnight!" he said, breathless after bolting the door and sliding to the floor,

"What are we going to do?" asked Vinson,

"Well we're going to have to stay up aren't we? we can't let them get us unaware" Joren said, and all in agreement they lit candles and waited.

As the hours slowly passed, and the candles waned until there was little left but tapers - and they had to light new ones they kept awake, noticing every sound. Every bark of the dogs in the city - every creak of the floor, every whisper of a lady or lord within the whole palace - they listened to it all.

And as Midnight approached, being merely minutes away - they heard heavy footsteps coming from down the hall- towards them, louder and louder they came until they stood right outside the door - and just as Midnight stroke and the bells rung there was a loud boom from the door and instinctively they screamed, and hid.

But it didn't stop. Boom! Boom! Boom!

Once their fear had abated, and they realized that they were safe they opened the door - to find that there was a very, very angry Sir Wyldon looking at them, in his hand a candle, a a night hat upon his head.

"What do you think that you are doing? being up this past curfew?" he asked them, and they stuttered, muttering about pages and pranks and midnight,

"Go to your rooms, and get to sleep - I want you in my office tomorrow morning" and without so much as a nod he was off down the corridor and out of their sights.

The three squires exchanged looks of mixed horror and relief, and as they shared a laugh they each went to their own rooms. As they locked the doors behind them and bolted the shutters they blew out the candles and slipped into the beds - to find that the beds were coated with honey and feathers and that so was everything else made of fabric in their rooms.

Neal suddenly bolted awake as he heard a strange yell coming from the squires quarters, a grin upon his face he settled back down under his own covers and thought, Best Midwinter Ever! as he once more fell asleep.


End file.
